Terms & Conditions

Confidentiality and Ethical Practice

Full confidentiality is offered, in line with psychotherapy ethical practice. This practice is bound by the Ethical Framework of British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) as well as the Code of Ethics of United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists (UKCP). As part of this registration, regular clinical supervision is mandatory for the therapist. All work carried out with Simi Sara or any of its therapists will be discussed with a clinical supervisor in confidence.

Everything said in sessions is confidential and any notes kept will be anonymized. Sessions will not be discussed with anyone apart from in confidential clinical supervision. The exceptions to confidentiality are as follows: 

- If the client speaks of an intention to harm themselves or others

- If the client shares information about an intended act of terrorism

- If there is concern regarding a child or vulnerable person in the client's contact or care

- If the UK courts instruct the therapist to give information regarding the client

Sessions

Weekly sessions will last for 50 minutes, by Zoom, by telephone or in-person, at the same time, as much as possible. If technical issues occur while working via Zoom, the session will be completed by telephone. If the client is outside the UK during their session and technical issues occur, it is the client's responsibility to reconnect with the therapist to complete their session. Any loss of time due to technical issues will not be returned.

If working remotely, sessions must be held when the client is alone in a quiet place where they will not be overheard. The session will be paused or terminated if it is determined that the client is not alone. In this event, the time remaining will be lost and the client will not be refunded. Clients must be sitting up and fully clothed for the duration of their session. 

If working in-person, please note that other professionals carry out their own work in their offices, within the building where Simi Sara is located.

The duration of work will be discussed during intake and will be reviewed periodically. 

If the client attends therapy under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other substance at the start or during the meeting, the session will be terminated, fees not refunded, and therapy will commence the week after.

All session notes will be anonymized by the therapist, and stored securely. Client data and anonymized notes may be stored for up to 7 years. Client names and general information may remain on email servers.

Fees, Absences, Cancellations and Holidays

Agreed appointment slots may change as client and therapist schedules change. Fees for personal therapy are payable 48hours in advance by BACS or Paypal. Please note that client names appear on Simi Sara bank statements and receipts. Sessions cancelled within 48hours to the time of the session commencing, for any reason, will still be payable. 

Fees may be reviewed at any time.

Slots for sessions not attended for 2 sessions in a row may be reallocated to a new client. 

The office is closed for client sessions for an entire month in the year and for two weeks in December (over the Christmas period). Sessions will resume the month after.

Requests for reading or writing of letters, reports, completing of forms or other documents, when agreed, will incur hourly rates outside scheduled sessions.

Endings

Therapy ends for many different reasons. A 2-session notice is required, where possible, to enable the relationship close safely.

Contact outside sessions and emergencies: 

Any contact by text, phone or email is permissible for administrative purposes only (appointment bookings & changes, venue changes, connection issues and payments). Contact outside this will not be acknowledged.

The therapist will not acknowledge the client in the event of an accidental meeting outside the therapy room, but will respond civilly to acknowledgment if one is offered. No Simi Sara therapist will ask to connect with a client on social media. 

The therapists at Simi Sara cannot be called on in an emergency. If the client is at risk to themselves or someone else, or if they need to speak to someone urgently, they are to contact Samaritans on 116123, their GP, or NHS 111. In case of emergency, they are to ring 999. If the subject seems urgent but not an emergency, an appointment is not guaranteed until the next pre-arranged session.

For any clarification on the above, please email sade@simisara.com.